Winter Is Coming, So Now’s The Perfect Time To Go Karting

It's cold, wet, and slippery, and the perfect time to go racing

The clocks have gone back, the leaves have blown from the trees, and the sodding X Factor is back on the television forever and ever amen. It’s winter, but that shouldn’t mean it’s time to put enjoying larking about in a car to bed for six months. As the F1 season winds up, get yourself into your own single seater. Go karting.

Karting in winter? Are you mad?

No, far from it. And there’s advantage número uno. No waiting around to get a session: you’re likely to have the place to yourselves. Your own private race meeting, without the holiday kids getting in the way.

Won’t it be insanely dangerous?

Nope: no kart track is going to let you loose on the circuit unless they’re happy it’s safe. But unless there’s a Day After Tomorrow dumping of snow, chances are they’ll be keen to keep the track open. If you do have an off, soggy run-off stops a kart better than summer-baked turf.

So, what’s the big deal?

Karting is more fun when it’s slippery. Slick tyres and a short wheelbase means drifting is pretty much unavoidable. And limited traction stops the lawnmower engine bogging down.

Plus, it teaches you good race-craft. Heard F1 commentators talking about driving off the racing line to find grip, away from the smoother, rubbered-in surface? You’ll feel that for real. And you’ll l